LONDON – Eight people suspected of plotting terrorist attacks abroad were arrested yesterday after an elaborate series of raids in Britain that involved 500 police officers, authorities said.
The eight, who were detained in Manchester, Liverpool and London, were being held under various government powers, authorities said. Those powers included anti-terrorism legislation and immigration laws that allow the Home secretary to deport foreigners whose presence in the country “is not conducive to the public good for reasons of national security.”
The authorities did not release the names, nationalities or other details about the suspects.
The chief constable of the Greater Manchester Police, Michael Todd, described the raids as “a major anti-terrorist operation” that had been organized over many months in conjunction with MI5, Britain's domestic security agency. The detainees were not planning attacks in Britain, he said.
“We are not talking today about a direct threat to the U.K.,” he said. “We are talking about the facilitation of terrorism overseas. That could include funding, providing support and encouragement to terrorists.”
He added: “This is an intelligence-led operation. We have been gathering intelligence, together with our security service colleagues, for at least a year, looking at the funding and support of terrorist activities overseas.”
Prime Minister Tony Blair has been under increasing pressure over his government's intelligence and immigration lapses.
Four suicide bombers attacked London's transport system in July, killing 52 people and injuring hundreds of others.
This month, the Home Office admitted that it had lost track of hundreds of foreigners who had served prison terms for serious offenses and were supposed to have been considered for deportation. Instead they were released.
In Manchester, three people were being held under anti-terrorism laws and three under immigration laws, the police said. Two others – one in Liverpool and one in London – were detained under immigration laws, they said.
The BBC reported that the raids were believed to relate to activities in Iraq. At least one of the men arrested was said to be linked to the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which in turn has been accused of ties with al-Qaeda, British media reported.
